Could New Look Mean Initial O-Line Decline?

The Bears offensive line has four different players in starting positions than last season so a drop in their Pro Football Focus rating seems natural.

It could mystify some how the Bears offensive line got worst over the offseason when the intention was improvement with a first-round pick and other changes.

However, Pro Football Focus has the Bears O-line rated seven spots worse than at the end of last year in 21st. The ranking comes despite the coaching staff's glowing reports about finally getting their full group together.

The article by Sam Monson says "it's not immediately clear who the best lineman in Chicago is, but if Cody Whitehair returns to his best play at center, he could be that guy."

The Bears have moved Whitehair to center, although on Tuesday they also gave Lucas Patrick some work at minicamp with starters at center. It's one of four offensive line positions with different starters than last year, which can easily explain the drop in ranking.

"Lucas has done an outstanding job," coach Matt Eberflus said. "He's really changed his body. He's really been working that physical side of it so he can stay in there and stay healthy.

"He's going to continue to do that so we're happy with where he is in terms of competing inside."

Eberflus called the snaps for Patrick as a starting center a depth matter.

"You know, at all positions we're going to need everybody," he said. "At some point somebody is going to step in there and be a starter and we're fortunate to have Lucas who has started in that position.

"Not to say that he's not going to compete for those starting spots that are inside and he's going to and we'll see where it goes during training camp."

What Eberflus likes most, as does line coach Chris Morgan, is how they've managed to keep the starting group together for over a week.

"It's been good," Eberflus said. "In fact, I just talked to C-Mo (Morgan) earlier today about it and the continuity that's really starting to gel, having guys next to each other, Braxton next to the guard and also Nate next to the other young (tackle), so they've got some youth next to some experience there. So we like it, and it’s starting to gel."

Last year the Bears changed between nine different starting offensive lines as the season progressed, largely due to injuries.

"Hopefully it won't be the moving chairs like we had last year, which is always difficult," Eberflus said. "You'd like to have some continuity in there and hopefully we can get that done."

It's difficult gauging much offensive line play at this time of offseason, when there is no real contact work being done at a position where contact is what it's all about. However, right guard Nate Davis doubts it will take long for the line to start to gel when they do have contact work at training camp.

"I think the transition is not going to be too bad," Davis said. "They've definitely brought in the right people, including myself. And we’re all studying, doing all the right things off the field to make sure that it also carries over to on the field things too.

"So, yeah, I think the new guys that are here, we're in a good spot."

Davis, a former Titans starter, missed two weeks of OTAs for personal reasons but has found the Bears offense similar to Tennessee's.

"It definitely helps out, and also staying in communication with the coaches and making sure that I'm on top of the studying part, too, because there's always going to be little tweaks here and there," he said. "But it definitely helps out being in a similar type of offense for sure."

Still, the line not only has four positions with different starters than last year but its relying on a rookie starting right tackle, a second-year starting left tackle and left guard Teven Jenkins to succeed at his fourth line position in three seasons.

Jenkins came in as a left tackle and was in for 157 snaps there as a rookie. He moved to right tackle when the Bears settled on Braxton Jones as left tackle starter, then was moved again before the start of last season to right guard because they had Riley Reiff and Larry Borom available at right tackle.

The move to left guard comes because they signed Davis. Morgan said the coaches considered keeping Jenkins at right guard before deciding Davis would be playing where he lined up in Tennessee.

"We're going to put the guys where we think the unit can be the best," Morgan said. "He's over there on the right."

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven